Service-meter for telephone-lines.



No. 795,551. PATENTED JULY 25, 1905. C. E. SGRIBNER. SERVICE METER FOR TELEPHONE LINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26,1904.

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Ammw a cm to, nmunnzmvlm wmlmcmw. n (z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SCRIBNER, OF JERICHO,

VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN GO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SERVICE-METER FOR TELEPHONE-LINES- Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed September 26, 1904. Serial No. 225,969.

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SGRIBNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at J eri cho, in the county of Chittenden and State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Service-Meters for Telephone-Lines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to a measured-service system of telephone-exchange, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient arrangement of circuits and apparatus whereby each call from a line is automatically registered when the central-office operator answers the call.

My invention contemplates a telephone-line having an electromagnetic service-meter associated therewith in a circuit controlled through the agency of a device at the substation. The circuit is completed when the subscriber sends in a call, and the magnet being energized the meter is thereby placed or set in operative condition. The central-office operator is provided with a pair of link conductors and a connection switch for uniting said conductors with the line, said connection-switch being adapted in closing to render the service-meter magnet inert by disconnecting the same from the line and so causing the operation of the meter.

I will describe my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a telephone-line extending from a substation to a central ottice, together with an operators cordcircuit for making connection therewith, the system being equipped and operating in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 shows the central-office equipment of a telephoneline illustrating a modified form of my invention.

The same characters of reference are used to designate the same parts in both figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I have shown a telephone-line extending in two limbs 1 2 from a substation to a central office, where they pass through the contacts of the usual cut-otl' relay 0 to the poles of the grounded central battery I), the limb 1 including a line signaling device, which may consist of a relay a, controlling a local circuit 3, including the line-lamp (Z. The limbs 1 2 are also connected with the line-terminals 0t multiple-spring jacks e e, the rings or thimbles e of said jacks being connected together and to earth through the winding of cut-0E relay 0 by a conductor 4. The apparatus at the substation is of the usual character, comprising transmitting and receiving telephones in a bridge of the line conductors, said bridge being controlled at the contacts of the usual gravity switch-hook 8, and a call-bell and condenser in a permanently-closed bridge of the line. The circuit of the line is open as to batterycurrents when the telephone-receiver is on its hook; but the bridge containing the telephone apparatus is closed at the contacts of the switch-hook when the receiver is taken for use. The magnet f of the service-meter or connection-register is included in line conductor 2 between the back contact of the cut-off relay and the grounded pole of the battery. The armature f of said magnet when energized completes the continuity of a conductor 5, extending from the free pole of battery 5 or from conductor 3 to the armature 0' 0t cut-ofi relay 0, included in conductor 2, so completing a locking-circuit for magnet f, comprising conductors 8, 5, and 2, such circuit being under the control of the cut-off relay. A resistan cef is included in said circuit to prevent said circuit from short-circuiting the telephone-line. The armature f of said magnet is adapted when energized to bring a pawl f 2 into such relation to the train of counting-wheels f of the meter that when the armature is retracted through the agency of a spring f? said pawl will operate the counting-wheels to record the call. The operators cord-circuit is of the usual type, comprising plugs g g with link conductors 6 7 extending between the tip and ring contacts, respectively, of said plugs, the battery 6 being located in a bridge of said conductors between the windings of the usual repeating-coil. The sleeve-contacts g g of the plugs g g are connected by conductors 8 9, respectively, with the free pole of battery 6 and include supervisory signals 7t 71, respectively, under the control of the usual supervisory relays i c", included in conductor 7 and associated with the answering and calling plugs g g, respectively. While I have shown two batteries in the drawings, (each marked 6,) it will be understood that these may be and usually are one and the same battery.

The operation of the system is as follows: When the telephone at the substation is taken for use, current is permitted to flow from the free pole of battery 6, over the conductor 1,

through the winding of the relay (4, through the substation apparatus, and back by way of limb 2, through the winding of magnetfo'f the service-meter to the grounded pole of battery b. The line-relay a upon being thus energized attracts its armature and closes the local circuit 3, including the line-lamp (Z. The magnet f of the service-meter in drawing up its armature f brings the pawl f in position to operate the counting-wheels when the armature is retracted and also closes a locking-circuit for itself by way of conductors 3 5 2, including contacts of the cut-ofl' relay. The central-oifice operator in response to the call inserts plug g into the answering-jack e of the line, thereby bringing the conductors 6 7 into connection with the limbs 2 1 of the telephone-line and completing a circuit for cut-oil relay 0 by way of conductors 8 and 4: and the thimble c and sleeve 0 of the springjaok and plug. The plug g and jack 6 may thus be considered as a connection-switch adapted to temporarily unite the link conductors 6 7 with the line. The cut-off relay when thus energized draws up its armatures, disconnecting the battery and line signaling apparatus from the line and opening at its armature c the local lockingcircuit 3 5 2 of magnet f, and said magnet becoming inert allows its armature f to be retracted by spring f", whereupon the pawl f operates the counting-wheels of the meter to record the call.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I will describe a slightly-modified form of my invention. In this form the magnet f is provided with two windings Z l, one of which windings Z is included in a parallel branch 10 of the local circuit 3, including the line-signal. The magnet when initially excited by the closure of the circuit of winding Z at the contacts of linerelay a is adapted to complete a local lockingcircuit 11, including the other winding Z of the magnetf', which circuit extends from the free pole of battery 7), through armature f of magnet f and its normally open contact, through an extra armature c of the cut-off relay 0 and its back contact, winding Z of magnetf', to earth. The pawl f is thus set in position to operate the countingwheels when the armature is retracted. When the call is answered by the insertion of a plug into a jack of the line, the cut-off relay is energized and opens at its armature 0 the local locking-circuit 11 of the magnetfand also de energizes line-relay (6 to open the-circuit, including winding Z of magnet f, whereupon the armature f is retracted by springf to cause the pawl f to operate the countingwheels f of the meter and register the call.

1 claim 1. The combination with a telephone-line, of an electromagnetic SGlVlCG-HlGtBl therefor, a circuit for the service-meter magnet includa source of current, a device at the substation of the line controlling said circuit, link conductors at the central ofi lce, a connection-switch for uniting said link conductors with the line, said service-meter magnet being rendered inert by the closureof said connection-switch to record the call.

2. The combination with atelephoneline,of a source of current in the line, and a switch at the substation for controlling current therefrom, a line-signal and an electromagnetically-actuated service-meter associated with the line and responsive to said substation-switch, and switch-contacts actuated in answering a call as indicated by the line-signal to sever the connection of the line-signal and service-meter with the line to record the call; whereby the electromagnet of the service-meter is energized in making a call, and is rendered inert in answering a call to record the same, as described.

3. The combination witha telephone-line,of a connection-switch at a central office for uniting said line with another, a cut-off relay operated in closing said connectionswitcl1,alinerelay and a battery normally connected in the line-circuit at the central ofiice through contacts of said cut-ofi' relay, a telephoneswitch at the substation controlling the flow of current through said line-relay, a servicemeter for the line having an actuating magnet-winding in a local circuit controlled by said line-relay, and a local locking-circuit for said service-meter closed by a relay-contact operated by the magnet thereof, said lockingcircuit being adapted to be opened by the cut ofi relay.

L. The combination with a-telephone-line,of a service-meter for the line at acentral ofiice, comprising an electromagnet and registering mechanism operated thereby, a switch at the substation,and means controlled by said switch for exciting the service-meter magnet, a local locking-circuit for the service-meter closed in the response thereof, a connection-switch to unite said line with another, and means actuated in closing said connection-switch for deenergizing said service-meter magnet.

5. The combination with a telephone-line,0f a service-meter comprising an electromagnet, the armature thereof, and registering mechanism actuated by a complete oscillation of said armature, of means controlled by a device at the substation of the telephone-line for exciting said magnet, a connection-switch at the central office adapted to unite said line with another, and means actuated in closing said connection-switch for deenergizing said service-meter magnet, whereby a registration of the meter is effected, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a telephone-line,of an electromagnetic service-meter therefor, a circuit for said meter controlled through the agency of a'device at the substation, a centralofiice connection-switch, a relay adapted when energized to render said service-meter magnet line at the central ofiice, and means actuated in closing the same adapted to render said magnet inert to operate the connection-register.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of September, A. D. 190 i.

CHARLES E. SCRIBNER. Witnesses:

JOHN G. ROBERTS, FREDERICK P. MCINTOSH. 

